Automotive body

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a body of a motor vehicle, comprising at least one body element, exhibiting at least one cavity; an opening for introducing a cavity protective fluid into the cavity; and comprising a sealing element in the cavity, which divides the cavity into two subcavities.  
     To provide the subcavities ( 16, 17 ) with a cavity protection, it is provided that the sealing element ( 6 ) exhibits a passage ( 10 ) for the solidifying cavity protective fluid (W), in particular liquid wax, and that the passage ( 10 ) is designed as a siphon ( 11, 111 ).

[0001] The invention relates to a body of a motor vehicle, according tothe preamble of claim 1.

[0002] In the automotive industry it is known to seal the cavities ofthe body elements, in particular pillar and frame member cross sections.Thus, the transition region of two body elements, for example aconnecting node between a door sill and a pillar, is sealed. Between thesill and the pillar there is a sealing element, which separates thecavity into two subcavities. Two other subcavities can be formed, forexample, by means of the sill and the adjoining wheel house. The sealingelement, located between the subcavities, serves in particular to sealthe wet and dry area in order to prevent moisture, which is present inthe frame members or the pillars from passing into the interior of thevehicle. In addition, these sealing elements reduce the transfer ofairborne sound inside the frame member and pillar structure.

[0003] To introduce a protective liquid against corrosion, especiallyliquid wax, into the cavity, one infers from the DE 691 02 009 T2 thatthere should be an opening in the direction of the cavity. Through saidopening the liquid wax can be introduced in the warm state. Aftercooling or solidifying, this liquid wax forms a protective layer againstcorrosion on the inside walls of the cavities. Then this opening to thecavity is sealed with a stopper.

[0004] The object of the invention is to provide a body of a motorvehicle, with which a cavity protection is also achieved in thesubcavities, which are separated from each other by means of a sealingelement.

[0005] This problem is solved with a body of a motor vehicle thatexhibits the features disclosed in claim 1. Other features of theinvention are disclosed in the dependent claims.

[0006] The advantages, achieved predominantly with the invention, lie inthe fact that in operating the vehicle the airborne sound cannotpropagate from one subcavity to another subcavity, because thesolidified protective fluid for the cavity forms a barrier in theairborne sound segment. It is especially advantageous that for theprotection of the cavity, the liquid protective fluid for the cavity canbe introduced through the siphon into each of the subcavities. Inaddition, a liquid seal in the direction of the subcavities in achieved.

[0007] The siphon can be provided especially easily and economicallyaccording to the design variants, disclosed in claims 2 and 3. As analternative, an insert could also be introduced as the sealing elementinto the body element. Said insert exhibits a continuous channel, whichis curved at least in segments and thus forms a siphon curve.

[0008] The invention is explained in detail below by means ofembodiments with reference to the drawings.

[0009]FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a detail of a car body in thetransition region between the wheel house and the door sill.

[0010]FIG. 2 depicts the filling of the cavities with liquid wax.

[0011]FIG. 3 depicts the siphon, which lies between two subcavities andwhich is sealed by means of solidified wax, according to a firstembodiment.

[0012]FIG. 4 is a sectional view along the line IV-IV in FIG. 1; and

[0013]FIG. 5 depicts a siphon, inserted into a body element, accordingto a second embodiment.

[0014] The car body 1, of which only a detail is shown in FIG. 1,comprises several body elements 2, which are shown purely as an exampleby means of a wheel house 3 and a side or door sill 4. Other bodyelements, which are not reproduced here, can be, for example, the roofframe; the pillars, extending between the roof frame and the door sill;the transverse frame members, extending between the door sills, or otherpillars and frame members as well as a front windshield cowl.

[0015] The body 1 or at least one of the body elements 2 has a cavity 5,which is divided into two subcavities 7 and 8 by means of a sealingelement 6, which is also referred to as a compartmentalization. Ofcourse, the sealing element 6 can also lie between two cavities 5 of twoadjoining body elements 2 and thus seal the cross section of at leastone of the body elements 2. At least one of the cavities 5 exhibits aninlet opening 9, through which a protective fluid W for the cavity, forexample a preservative, in particular liquid wax, can be introduced intothe cavity 5. The liquid wax W is at least liquid when introduced intothe cavities 5, 7, and 8 so that owing to gravity it flows downward intothe cavities 5 or subcavities 7 and 8, as is evident from FIG. 2. Sothat the liquid wax W can pass from the subcavity 7 into the subcavity 8and into the cavity 5 of the door sill 4, the sealing element 6 has apassage 10, which is realized as a siphon 11, through which, accordingto FIG. 2, the liquid wax W can flow. However, the siphon 11 is nottotally emptied, rather residual liquid wax W remains in the siphon 11.When the liquid wax W solidifies, for example, by means of cooling, itforms in the siphon 9 a wax sealing stopper 12 (FIG. 3), whichconstitutes a barrier for sound energy fluxes, which propagate insidethe hollow body elements 2. Thus, with the siphon 11 the goal is reachedthat areas of the body 1 that are sealed by means of the sealingelements can be preserved with wax and still fulfill the acousticalrequirements of totally tight compartmentalization.

[0016] As evident from FIG. 4, a body element 2 is formed preferably bymeans of two blanks 13 and 14, which are designed preferably as sheetmetal blanks and are mechanically worked into the shape of a shell. Thetwo blanks 13 and 14 are connected together, for example by welding, attheir peripheral regions and thus fitted together to form a sheet bar15, which forms then the body element 2. The cross section of the sheetbar 15 and thus the cross section of the cavity 5 are rectangular inshape; of course, it can be arbitrarily circular or square. In theillustrated embodiment the siphon 11 is formed inside the sheet bar 15by means of two separating elements 16 and 17, which are separated fromeach in the flow direction F of the liquid wax W. Each separatingelement 16 or 17 exhibits a passage opening 18 or 19 respectively. Eachseparating element 16 and 17 can extend over the entire cross section ofthe cavity 5 and exhibit a breakthrough as the passage opening. The twopassages 18 and 19 are then offset, as seen at right angles to the flowdirection F of the liquid wax W. Thus, the siphon 11 can be realized ina simple way, when the separating elements are arranged in such a mannerthat there is a siphon curve 20, in which a residual quantity of waxremains. Preferably the separating elements 16 and 17 are oriented insuch a manner that they enclose with the horizontal line H an anglealpha.

[0017] Preferred is an embodiment, in which the two separating elements16 and 17 extend only partially over the cross section of the cavity 5,as evident in FIGS. 1 to 4. Thus, the first passage opening 18 liesbetween the free end of the first separating element 16 and the insidewall of the sheet bar 15. The second passage opening 19 lies between thefree end of the second separating element 17 and the inside wall of thesheet bar 15 so that even in this design of the sealing element 6 thepassage openings are offset in relation to each other.

[0018] Prior to assembling the two blanks 13 and 14, one of theseparating elements 16 or 17 is inserted preferably into each blank andconnected, preferably rigidly, to the blank 13 or 14. During assembly ofthe blanks 13 and 14 to form a sheet bar 15, the siphon 11 is formed. Ofcourse, it is also possible to insert both the first and also the secondseparating element 16 and 17 into one of the blanks 13 or 14 and toconnect them rigidly to the same and then to join the blanks together.

[0019] Thus, with the sealing element 6, exhibiting the siphon 11, it ispossible to introduce in such a manner the liquid wax into areas of thebody 1 that cannot be otherwise preserved that, as the wax flows throughthe inlet opening 9, the liquid wax W enters, as seen in the flowdirection F, into the lower order cavities, but then subsequently, thatis after the wax has solidified, seals the siphon 11 by means of theresidual wax remaining as the sealing stopper 12. In at least one of thebody elements 2 there is an outlet opening 21, from which too muchintroduced wax W can drain. Both the inlet 9 and the outlet 21 openingcan be sealed with sealing means (not illustrated).

[0020] According to FIG. 5, it is provided for a second embodiment of asiphon 111 in the cavity 5 that this siphon 111 is designed in an insert22, forming the sealing element 6. The insert has a continuous tube 23,which connects the subcavities 16 and 17 and which thus exhibits thepassage opening 18 or 19 on each end 24 or 25 of the insert. These endscan be formed by means of the separating elements 16, 17, between whichlies the tube 23, which is designed as a curve in segments and thusforms a siphon curve 120, in which the sealing stopper 12 is disposed.

1. Body of a motor vehicle, comprising at least one body element,exhibiting at least one cavity; an opening for introducing a cavityprotective fluid into the cavity, and comprising a sealing element inthe cavity, said sealing element dividing the cavity into twosubcavities, characterized in that the sealing element (6) exhibits apassage (10) for the solidifying cavity protective fluid (W), inparticular liquid wax, and that the passage (10) is designed as a siphon(11, 111).
 2. Body, as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that thebody element (2) exhibits two blanks (13, 14), which are connectedtogether to form a sheet bar (15), and that the siphon (11, 111) isformed by means of two separating elements (16, 17), which lie so as tobe separated from each other in the flow direction (F) of the wax, witha passage opening (18, 19), whereby the first and second passageopenings (18, 19), formed thus, are offset in relation to each other. 3.Body, as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that the two separatingelements (16, 17) extend partially in the cross section of the cavity(5), where the first passage opening (18) lies between the free end ofthe one separating element (16) and one of the blanks (13), and thesecond passage opening (19) lies between the free end of the otherseparating element (17) and the other blank (13).
 4. Body, as claimed inany one of the claims 1 and 2, characterized in that the siphon (111) isformed by means of a tube (23), exhibiting a siphon curve (120). 5.Body, as claimed in any one of the claims 2, 3, and 4, characterized inthat the separating elements (6a, 6b) seal a pillar and/or frame membercross section of the motor vehicle.